The present invention relates generally to navigational devices, and in particular to PDA navigational route guidance that accounts for insignificant route segments or roads.
Route planning devices are well known in the field of navigational instruments. The capabilities of known route planning devices and methods depend on system resources, such as processor speed and the amount and speed of memory. The processes implemented by a navigation device are a function of overall system cost because an increase in system capability also increases system cost. The known art includes a spectrum of products in which the degree of navigational accuracy is dictated primarily by the cost of the system. The lower cost systems currently offer a lower degree of accuracy that often is inadequate for most users.
Processes inherently affected by the limited system resources include navigational route planning and navigational route guidance. A navigational route between a starting destination and a final destination is determined using cartographic data. The navigational route is formed from a number of a navigational route segments. These route segments, for example, include the various roads that are traveled upon to move from the starting destination to the final destination.
Navigational route guidance provides information to a user to guide the user along the route from route segment to route segment. That is, navigational route guidance provides information used to maneuver from one route segment to another route segment. Such guidance is desirable when a user is confronted with maneuvering options, such as whether to turn left or right, for example, onto the next route segment or road.
However, some route segments are essentially insignificant in so far as traveling from a first significant route segment through an insignificant route segment to a second significant route segment essentially only confronts the user with an obvious maneuvering option between the first significant route segment and the second significant route segment. An example of an insignificant route segment is a separately digitized turn lane.
Attempts to provide guidance information from the first significant route segment to the insignificant route segment, and to provide guidance information from the insignificant route segment to the second significant route segment is unnecessary information as it is extraneous or redundant. Users view maneuvers associated with insignificant route segments interposed between two significant route segments as obvious maneuvers. Thus, users only desire appropriate navigational guidance from the first significant route segment to the second significant route segment.
Therefore, there exists a need for route guidance that appropriately accounts for insignificant route segments by nullifying, and/or modifying route guidance maneuvers associated with the insignificant route segments to improve a route guidance experience.
The above mentioned problems of navigational devices are addressed by the present invention and will be understood by reading and studying the following specification. Systems, devices and methods are provided to identify insignificant route segments and to provide clear and concise route guidance by appropriately accounting for the insignificant route segments. As such, a route guidance experience is enhanced.
One aspect of the present invention provides an electronic navigational device. According to one embodiment, the device includes a processor and a memory adapted to communicate with the processor. The processor and memory are adapted to cooperate to perform processes, and in particular, to perform a route guidance process that accounts for insignificant route segments.
According to one embodiment, the insignificant segment is accounted for by skipping or nullifying route guidance for a maneuver associated with the insignificant segment, i.e. for a maneuver that immediately proceeds or follows the insignificant segment. According to another embodiment, the insignificant route segment is accounted for by modifying a route guidance maneuver associated with the insignificant route segment.
According to one embodiment, a sequence of route segments and a sequence of maneuvers associated with the route segments are identified. It is determined whether a segment in the sequence of route segments is significant or insignificant. The processor and memory provide route guidance for a maneuver associated with significant segments, and account for an insignificant segment prior to providing route guidance for a maneuver associated with the insignificant segment.
Other aspects provided herein include a navigation system and a method. These, as well as other novel aspects, embodiments, advantages, details, and features of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the invention, the attached claims and accompanying drawings, listed herein below, which are useful in explaining the invention.